To be a Cool Adult
by gracemis
Summary: Set a few months after the manga chapter 342. Some days getting into bed is the hardest thing you have to do. ShikamaruHinata. Oneshot that grew. He wanted nothing more then to lie down and take a nap...But it was his turn to pick up the groceries
1. Too Tired to Move

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and probably Shonen Jump, with license to Viz Media

_**Warnings:** Major spoilers for manga chapter 342._

_**Summary:** Some days getting into bed is the hardest thing you have to do. Shikamaru/Hinata. Set a few months after the manga chapter 342._

_**Dedicated to cabbitqueen.** Thoughtful reviews and comments to me on my first FF To Change Hyuuga really made my day and helped build my confidence to continue writing._

**Too Tired to Move**

Shikamaru yawned as he fumbled with the key to Kurenai's home. He had slept six hours during the three-day mission. He wanted nothing more then to lie down and take a nap.

But it was his turn to pick up the groceries.

It was increasingly difficult for the eight months pregnant Kurenai to complete simple errands involving large bulky items. Like laundry or grocery.

A week ago Hinata moved in with Kurenai. She wanted to help Kurenai during the last few weeks of the pregnancy and after the baby came.

Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru were vaguely surprised that when the Hyuuga Heiress easily brushed aside the objections of her clan to move out. Even if it was only temporarily, the Hyuuga did not like a main branch member to wonder too far from home.

Shino and Kiba were neither surprised at Hinata's desire to help nor her ability to bend the Hyuuga clan to her viewpoint.

Over the last few months, Shikamaru learned that Hinata, the shy and quiet member of Kurenai Yuhi's Team 8, was able to bend others subtly to her ideas. A combination of the Byakugan training, her political experience as heiress, and her empathy for others.

Of Kurenai Yuhi's Team 8 and Asuma Sarutobi Team 10, Shikamaru and Hinata had taken the most upon themselves to look after Kurenai-sensei. Even a Jonin needed a little help when thirty pounds heavier and flooded with hormones. During the last few weeks, they decided to take turns running errands for the household.

Unfortunately the ongoing conflict with Akatsuki members created a strain on the Konoha nin. Constant missions required every Jonin and Chunin. Meanwhile, an increasing number for Konoha nin were also pulled off duty to recover from injuries.

Hinata had been sent out for a weeklong mission the day before Shikamaru.

So it was his turn to pick up the groceries.

He dropped the fresh fruits and vegetables on the kitchen counter and quickly put away the refrigerated items.

The former slacker sighed and wondered when he had become so domesticated.

Chouji, Ino and Shikamru had started having weekly dinners with Kurenai shortly after they returned from killing Hidan.

At first they ate out. Then Choji suggested that they eat healthier food and volunteered to make dinner for everyone.

Eventually they developed a routine, Ino or Shikamaru would pick up the food, and Chouji would cook with everyone helping or hanging out together in the kitchen. However, with the hectic mission schedule, someone was always out. So eventually they decided to invite Kiba, Hinata and Shino to fill out the table.

It was nice. To be with friends and enjoy a meal together.

Every week it was a slightly different group, three or four of the rookie nine and Kurenai-sensei. On a rare occasion, all six of them would be there with Kurenai and then the only one missing was Asuma-sensei.

Shikamaru noticed as Kurenai grew heavier with child that the simple chores of shopping and laundry were more difficult for her. He volunteered to get groceries for her.

"Hey, I can get the food for our weekly dinners and your food for the week at the same time. No big deal." He had said.

Unfortunately with his mission schedule he couldn't do it every week.

One day he ran into Hinata returning from a mission just as he was leaving Tsunade's office. He passed Kurenai shopping list to the shy kunoichi and asked for a favor. Since then, Hinata and Shikamaru took turns. Whoever was in town would take care of it.

Occasionally, they were both in town and ended up with twice as much food as Kurenai (and her growing group of visiting friends) needed. But Chouji would usually take care of that problem. He whipped up extra meals and put them in the freezer them for later.

Hinata slightly modified the grocery list from time to time. Added or removed different foods as Kurenai progressed through her pregnancy. Shikamaru appreciated it, genius or not, he wasn't the type to pay attention to that kind of thing. That kind of _female_ thing.

Shikamaru yawned again and rubbed his eyes. He needed sleep, damnit. These constant missions were exhausting. He decided to wash his face to wake up a bit before he headed home for his long overdue nap.

Half asleep on his feet, Shikamaru made his way into the guest bathroom. His groggy mind sensed someone else in the room moments before incredible pain flooded his body.

Through the pain he heard "Two! Four! Eight! Sixteen! …AH! Oh no!"

A very wet and very naked Hyuuga Hinata leaned over him.

At least he assumed she was naked under the loose towel wrapped around her body.

"Shikamaru-san! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.

Through the pain for sixteen closed chakra points, Shikamaru realized that he was still standing only because Hinata had pinned him against the bathroom wall.

"Can you move?" Hinata asked excitedly.

She eased her hold on him, only to have to support his weight as he slumped forward. "I'm sorry, you surprised me and I reacted without thinking. I-I can try to re-open the chakra points, but it might be better to wait for recover normally. I'm so sorry!"

He struggled to move his tired and chakra blocked body.

Troublesome.

He sighed heavily.

"Hinata." Shikamaru finally managed. "I'll live. Just help me sit down or lay down somewhere for awhile."

It was his own fault for letting his guard down.

She nodded. Hinata shifted to half guide, half carry Shikamaru across the hallway into the guest bedroom.

"How long will it take to wear off?" He asked as he tried to move his fingers. Fine motor control was the first to go and the last to return. He wouldn't be able to untie his shoe much less perform a hand seal.

"Um, ah with sixteen points closed, it shouldn't be more then two or three hours. It depends on how strong you chakra system is to begin with. Your body and chakra system has a natural tendency to what to return to its normal state." She explained quietly.

Everything Hyuuga Hinata did was quiet. Shikamaru had noticed this over the years. She was so unlike is bossy loud mother or bossy loud teammate. Hinata had grown a lot over the last three years. She was more confident, more deadly. But still kind.

The shy kunoichi helped him sit on the futon. She then proceeded to take off his jacket, shoes, and weapons pouches.

Hinata's hands moved quickly and efficiently, but Shikamaru noticed a slight trembling in her figure. Her pale bare shoulders were dimpled with goose bumps from the cool air of the bedroom. She probably felt awful for attacking him.

Hinata didn't seem to notice that her towel was getting progressively looser as she shifted around. She was focused on making him comfortable. The injured genius vaguely wondered if he would get slapped for mentioning it. Or if it was better to get slapped after towel slipped further.

Apparently exhaustion combined with sixteen closed chakra points was the trigger for his mind to shut down and his hormones to take over. Shikamaru blinked at the thought.

"Don't worry so much Hinata, I was just going to wash my face and head home for a nap anyway. This will save me the walk home." He joked.

"When did you get back?" he asked tiredly.

"Just an few hours ago, we reported in to Tsunade-sama and I came straight here to clean up." Hinata replied automatically. She ran her hand along his chest. He arched an eyebrow at her, which went unnoticed.

"I'm going to take your shirt off and get some of my healing salve. It won't help your chakra points open, but it will help with the bruising." She blushed lightly and mumbled, "sorry about this."

"Hinata, stop apologizing. No permanent harm, right?" He smirked at her. "By the way, I pick up the food for the week."

"Oh thank you! I was dreading going out again." Hinata said as she worked his shirt off.

"You're tired too huh?" He half asked. Half assumed. The missions they were assigned to sure as hell weren't getting any easier.

Hinata nodded without looking at him

"Rough mission?" He asked softly.

"Very bad." she said softly. "People died before we got there. There was no one left to save."

Shikamaru winced. He knew that Hinata was the kind of shinobi that operated best when protecting rather then killing. He waited for her to continue or not. He didn't want to pry.

"It took us four days of constant pursuit, but we finally hunted them down. I-I killed four of them with my bare hands." She said so softly he could barely hear her.

He would have consoled her with a hand on her head or a pat on her shoulder. But he doubted that he could move that much.

"Hinata, you did what you had to do." Shikamaru replied.

She nodded, but he could sense the tears in her posture and her voice, even if he couldn't see them in her eyes.

"Lay down, I'm going to get that salve." Hinata said returning all her focus to him.

Shikamaru laid down on the futon and tried not to fall asleep immediately. Hinata suddenly reach over him. He looked up to be treated to a spectacular view. Hinata's towel had loosened from all the activity and was falling open.

Hinata exclaimed. "Here it is, right next to the bed."

Of course it was her bed since she moved in with Kurenai.

Hinata continued to lean over him as she applied small amounts of the salve to each of the sixteen points of impact that she could access on his upper body.

Shikamaru took a moment to enjoy the view. Hinata's cup-runeath over. Literally.

Shikamaru closed his eyes before the hormones of his sixteen-year old body made him say or do something stupid. Like try to get his chakra-blocked and exhausted body to move and 'accidentally' knock towel off completely. Or something.

Instead he said, "Hinata, your…your dripping on me."

"Oh my, I'm sorry Shikamaru-san!" Hinata replied. She suddenly became aware of her state of undress. She was wrapped (practically unwrapped now) in a towel and still dripping wet from her bath. Hinata blushed a deep red and stood up quickly to adjust her towel.

Unfortunately her fatigue did not reward her quick movement and she swayed heavily.

"Hey are you okay?" Shikamaru asked as Hinata nearly collapsed. She slowly lowered herself to a kneeling position to orient herself.

"Just...just very tired. I think." She replied.

Shikamaru took in her appearance. The darkness beneath her pale eyes. The redness of her face. The slight wrinkling of her finger tips. He wondered how long her had been in the bathroom washing away the blood and filth from her mission.

"It's hard to think sometimes." She finished quietly.

"Yeah...come on, lay down on the futon for a minute." Shikamaru suggested. "It's your bed anyway." He joked.

She looked at him like he was crazy. But in his eyes she saw the mirror of her own. Exhaustion. The drive to grow up as quickly as possible. No regret. No pity. No tears.

When she tried to stand again and found it harder then she imagined possible, she decided to take him up on the offer. She crawled into bed next to him and her whole body sighed with relief. Hinata smiled gratefully even though Shikamaru couldn't see it.

They lay there together quietly for a few minutes.

Precious peaceful moments.

"Sometimes it is nice to be held after a…difficult mission." Hinata said quietly.

Shikamaru didn't know if she was talking about her mission or his own.

He concentrated and was able to shift slightly. Hinata took the cue and cuddled up to him. She leaned slightly onto his bare chest as he wrapped his arm loosely over her equally bare shoulder.

"We should rest for awhile." He said.

Hinata nodded and tugged the covers over both of them.

"While we can." She replied.

They breathed in time with each other.

And were asleep within minutes.

* * *

_Author's note: My first one-shot! And my second FF. I sorta-thought maybe I might write a little more Shika/Hina, but I'm not sure if I have it in me. That's why the title of the one-shot is different then the overall title. The overall title references the chapter342. Did this work? Vaguely believable? Please review._


	2. Between Waking and Sleeping

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and probably Shonen Jump, with license to Viz Media

**Dedicated to kaotic312**. Your great storytelling and frequent updates of "Marry My Father Please?" have been a great pleasure to me for the past few weeks. Thanks for your review of this story too.

**Between Waking and Sleeping**

Shikamaru woke to the smell of jasmine and some kind of medicinal herbs. A towel clad Hyuuga Heiress kept him pleasantly warm. He shifted slightly and found that control of his body had returned. It must have been late evening. He guessed they had slept for three or four hours.

He could actually feel the normal flow of chakra though his system. He wondered vaguely if it was an after effect of the gentle fist attack. Normally it takes an almost meditative state to sense the normal flow of chakra in a state of rest. Perhaps he would ask Hinata when she woke up.

Her long hair was tangled and messily splayed over her shoulders and across his chest. Hinata's small hand was fisted in the covers and resting near his collarbone. Her position pulled the blanket almost up to his nose. Even in her sleep, she was trying to comfort him. She worried that he might be cold.

She stirred slightly as Shikamaru yawned and stretched his limbs with small movements. When it appeared that Hinata was going to stay asleep, Shikamaru decided to close his eyes and follow suit. He was still exhausted and in no hurry to get up.

He sighed. The light jasmine scent from Hinata's dark hair quickly eased him back to sleep.

…

Hinata woke to the sound of someone entering the house. Instinctively she activated her bloodline limit and saw Kurenai walking into the kitchen. Hinata wanted to get up and mildly scold her former sensei. It was almost midnight and much too late for her to be working.

As Kurenai opened a small leftover box from the local BBQ restaurant, Hinata realized that Chouji must have take her for dinner and walked her home. A quick scan of the outer building revealed the long-time friend of the boy Hinata was draped over.

...the boy she was draped over...

Hinata's stifled an embarrassed shriek by burying her head down. Unfortunately, this only served to bring her face in contact with Shikamaru's bare chest.

Shikamaru shifted slightly in his sleep. Hinata froze.

Embarrassment gave way to concern as she scanned his chakra system for the damage she had inflicted earlier. His chakra system seemed to have returned to normal.

Sighing with relief. Hinata embarrassment began to return when she realized she was wearing only a towel.

Before she could faint, Hinata recalled their conversation.

_"Sometimes it is nice to be held after a…difficult mission." Hinata said quietly. _

_Shikamaru didn't know if she was talking about her mission or his own. _

_He concentrated and was able to shift slightly. Hinata took the cue and cuddled up to him. She leaned slightly onto his bare chest as he wrapped his arm loosely over her equally bare shoulder._

_"We should rest for awhile." He said. _

_Hinata nodded and tugged the covers over both of them. _

"_While we can." She replied._

He was so…so _kind_ to her after she attacked him. She shifted off the futon and quickly pulled on her sleeping yakuta and her underthings.

She sat by the futon and examined Shikamaru again with her family eyes. He was recovered from her earlier accidental attack, but clearly still exhausted.

Hinata smiled. She could relate. She felt as though she could close her eyes and sleep for a week. She sighed and silently prayed for dreams without blood or pain.

She prayed for both of them.

They were Chunin, trained shinobi and killers before they were old enough to read Icha Icha Paradise.

Hinata blushed at her line of thought. She returned her attention to Kurenai-sensei. It appeared that she was having tea before she went to bed.

Yawning tiredly, Hinata decided against talking with Kurenai tonight. Her former sensei never complained. But Hinata knew that Kurenai was a little overwhelmed by all the attention from Team 8 and Team 10. Although she was grateful, Kurenai still required privacy and quiet time.

When the baby came, both were going to be in short supply.

And Hinata was still exhausted. Her chakra had been sorely depleted when she returned from her mission. Attacking Shikamaru had brought her to her knees. Literally. She had been unable to stand up after she got him to the futon.

Using the Byakugan for the past few minutes wasn't helping either.

As she lay her head down on the futon, Hinata decided it was not _**too improper**_ if she just lay down next to Shikamaru on top of the covers. After all it was her futon. She was a bit cold as she adjusted the covers to make sure Shikamaru would be comfortable.

With clothes and covers to separate them and protect their respective modesty, Hinata cuddled closely to the warm blooded Chunin.

Shikamaru slept on.

Hinata allowed exhaustion and the quiet _lub-lub_ of Shikamaru's heart lulled her back to sleep.

…

Something cold brushed Shikamaru's shoulder. He opened his eyes and discovered the shy Hyuuga Heiress shivering next to him on top of the covers. He grinned as he retrieved his shirt and pulled it on. It was _**nice**_ that she had stayed. Probably out of guilt and concern. He shifted her slightly and wrapped both of them in the blanket. He pulled the blanket up under her chin and held it there with his arm over her. He was loosely spooning her cold body. He felt her immediately scoot closer to him as she responded to his body heat.

He blushed at the close contact and reminded himself that she was asleep. He wondered vaguely if he should try to get up and leave before Kurenai woke up. He tried to will his body not to response to the very feminine form that was warming up next to him. The thought of a pregnant angry Kurenai yelling at him was enough to calm his teenage hormones.

He tucked Hinata's head of messy black hair under his chin and listened to her breathing.

It was awhile before he fell asleep again.

…

It was an hour past dawn. Hinata had been awake for several minutes. She was warm, comfortable and blushing a fierce tomato red. She felt a little guilty for enjoying herself.

Last night she had scrubbed her hands and body to remove the traces of blood and grime.

This morning, she felt like she was human again. A girl.

A girl sleeping with a boy.

A really nice boy.

She let out a gasp as she realized Shikamaru had woken up too. Hinata squeezed her eyes closed.

"Hinata, you're not mad, are you?" Shikamaru asked tiredly.

Hinata eeped. "N-No! Of course not!" She whispered. She clarified, "You should be the one who-who is angry." She paused again. "How to you feel?" Even though she knew there was no permanent harm from her attack.

"All better." He replied. "It was a legitimate attack. Don't worry about it." He yawned again.

"Thanks for staying to keep an eye on me." He added as he stood up from the futon. Shikamaru found it even harder then usual to get out of bed today.

Hinata stared blankly at the wall. "Thanks for keeping me warm." She replied, grateful that he was giving her an excuse for spending the night in bed with him.

They didn't need to speak about how good it felt to be held. They didn't need to speak about how nice it was to wake up with someone. They both knew that the small touches and scents and sounds of another human being repaired some of the psychological damage from their grueling missions. It helped keep them sane.

"Are you leaving now?" Hinata asked as she got up too.

Shikamaru paused in her doorway. "No. I'm going to make breakfast for Kurenai-sensei and you." He turned back and smiled at her. "I picked up some fresh fruit last night."

Hinata smiled back at him. "I'll make the eggs."

They exchanged a few words as they prepared breakfast together. Their friendship had deepened and lengthened in the months since Asuma's death. Growing just as they were growing up. Changing in unexpected but not always unpleasant ways. The casual comfort of friends returned easily after their strange night of intimate closeness. It had been an unexpected but welcome turn of events.

Except for the sixteen closed chakra points.

So a week later, Hinata was not entirely surprised when she woke up wrapped in the comfort of Shikamaru's arms.

…………………………………………………………………………………..

Author's Note: I still don't think this chapter adds anything to the one-shot but it was fun to write and I hope it is fun to read.

Special thanks to **The Lightning Flash**, **Meruhen Wind**, and **kaotic312: **Your thoughtful reviews of this story inspired me to take another look at the draft for this chapter and post it. Finally.

Please Review!


	3. To Be Kind

_Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and probably Shonen Jump, with license to Viz Media_

_**Dedicated to some awesomely supportive reviewers** kik kibou, Idle Writer of Crack, Dalli1526,Sophia666, Hinata Lovers, Sincerely-Miss J x-ChocoLatte, salute, Piisa, winterkaguya, tatski .k kiba lover, SarahiNia, Lotos-Eater, Overly Dramatic Angel, CobaltHeart, Ilyichlenin, raggedywings, dumdeedum, Kaotic312 and more…thanks for your encouragement and taking the time to review. This chapter would not be here without your support._

**To be Kind**

Something was wrong with Hinata. She had skipped the weekly Team Asuma and Team Kurenai group dinner. Only Shikamaru, Shino, Chouji, and Kurenai had dined together. Ino had not yet returned from her mission and Kiba was in the hospital recovering from his last one. While everyone tried to make the weekly dinner, Hinata was exceptionally diligent.

Hinata had reduced her mission schedule to help the very pregnant Kurenai. Shikamaru noticed that Hinata helped Kurenai in a hundred small ways. She made sure Kurenai always had fresh fruit juice and small healthy snacks available. She brought home scrolls or books on child birth or childrearing. Hinata became an expert at collecting and organizing hand-me-down clothing, blankets and other baby supplies from other friends.

She did all these things to help Kurenai with the day-to-day reality of becoming a single parent. But Hinata also did these things to remind her former sensei, that Kurenai was still loved by others. That Kurenai Yuhi may be a single mother, but she and her child would not be alone.

Shikamaru was a little surprised when he saw Hinata putting a small picture of Asuma in a wallet case and placing it with Kurenai's bag for the hospital. "So Asuma can see his child born."

Hinata was thoughtful and kind in all the quiet and small ways. More then anyone else, Hinata was helping Kurenai move through her grief and focus on the future and her baby. Shikamaru had helped Asuma's spirit find peace. Hinata was helping Kurenai find life.

So there must be something wrong with Hinata. She wouldn't skip out on dinner with the gang. All through dinner, Shikamaru kept expecting her bedroom door to open. She would wobble out of her room rubbing sleep from her eyes and blush with embarrassment from waking up late from her nap.

But it didn't happen.

Chouji's dinner was tasty, albeit Hyuuga-less. Shikamaru glanced at Hinata's closed door for the umpteenth time. After dinner, Shino offered to take Kurenai for a walk. She accepted while Chouji and Shikamaru stayed behind to clean up the dishes and leftovers.

"If you are so worried, just check on her." Chouji said as he rummaged through the refrigerator, pulling out older leftovers to through out and making room for the dinner leftovers.

Shikamaru grimaced. Chouji knew him so well. The lazy genius was worried. Probably about nothing. Hinata could be working on a mission report or some Hyuuga business and might not want to be distrubed...or she could be sick or injured and unwilling to ask anyone for help...

"I can't barge into her room." He replied to his friend while washing the last few dishes.

Chouji looked up. "Afraid to get your tenketsu blocked?" He joked.

Shikamaru turned away, but not before Chouji noticed a slight pink blush appear. "Wait a minute, what are you not telling me?" Chouji asked bluntly. Shikamaru almost never blushed. Being embarrassed was "too troublesome." Shikamaru just didn't care enough to get embarrassed about, well anything. Sure he changed after Asuma's death, but Shikamaru was still unconcerned with the small things in life. And almost everything was small. So what could have happened that had his friend blushing? Chouji grinned at the possibilities.

Shikamaru paused. He didn't keep secrets from his friend, but he didn't want to compromise Hinata's privacy either. 'Especially when we ended up in bed together.' He thought. Admittedly it was a relatively innocent night together, but still...

"Just go check on her." Chouji repeated. "We are done cleaning up. I'm heading out."

Shikamaru nodded goodbye to his friend. He looked at the bedroom door.

It wouldn't hurt to just check in on her. She wouldn't mind.

……………………………………………………

Hinata lifted her head from her pillow when she heard the light knock. Kurenai was probably worried about her. The Hyuuga heiress felt awful. Her stomach knotted again. Definitely mild food poisoning. Enough to drive her as far away from food as possible for a day or two. Thankfully it was not contagious, so Kurenai would not be at risk of getting sick. "Come in." She called to the door.

She rolled toward the door in a feeble attempt at good manners. Her stomach roiled at the motion. Hinata blinked in confusion and then immediately blushed in embarrassment when she realized Shikamaru was crouched next to her futon. The slight green tinge overtook her blushing complexion and Hinata closed her eyes to control her nausea.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked simply.

Hinata replied without opening her eyes. "Some bad shrimp at the Hyuuga lunch today. Hanabi is probably even worse. She loves shrimp."

She cracked open one eye to look at her bemused visitor. "I don't care if I ever see another shrimp again." She groaned. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, I was just thinking. With the Byakugan, I thought you might be able to 'see' that the shrimp was spoilt." He explained.

"I'll try that next time." Hinata said wryly. Maybe that was why Neji stopped her from a second serving and did not have any himself...

"Do you need anything?" Shikamaru asked.

Hinata blinked again. He was...being kind to her...again. She blushed deeply as she remembered waking up wearing nothing but a towel and pressed almost intimately against Shikamaru's lean hard body.

"Could you refill my water pitcher? I…I need to stay hydrated." She answered quietly. Normally she would never trouble someone else while she was sick. But with Shikamaru, she knew that he wouldn't bother offering if he wasn't willing. He took the time to ask, he would take the time to help her.

Shikamaru returned from the kitchen with the full pitcher of water. "Kurenai and Shino went for a walk." He explained for no apparent reason.

"Oh, that's good. The walking is good for Kurenai-sensei and the baby." Hinata commented.

"Uh hum." He offered her a new glass of water as he sat by the side of her futon.

Hinata shifted to a sitting position and reached for the water. Shikamaru noted her slight trembling. "What's wrong?" He repeated.

Hinata sighed, "Probably just a little fever and chills. I can't seem to stay warm right now." She blew on her fingers to warm them, but even the warm breath brought little comfort.

After she finished sipping some water, Hinata slid back down to rest.

Shikamaru took the drinking glass from Hinata as she closed her eyes again and shivered.

He put the glass down and out of the way and pulled her hands in his to warm them. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled gratefully.

"That feels nice" she replied as she yawned and closed her eyes.

"Hm. Get some rest, I'll check on you in the morning." He replied.

She felt the warmth of her blanket settle on her and a gentle pressure as Shikamaru tucked her in. His warm breathe tickled her senses as he leaned over and pressed his palm to her forehead. The gesture comforted her as she fell into an exhausted sleep.

Shikamaru lingered for a moment by her side. He observed the stillness of the blanket. Beneath the blanket, the curve of the Hyuuga heiress back was curled adorably around another pillow. Probably the warmth helped her unsettled stomach. He resolved to check on her in the morning.

……………………………………………………

The soft warmth of the blanket was not enough. Hinata shivered again. "Stupid shimp." She muttered. She knew her body well enough to know that the fever must be spiking for her to feel this cold.

"Stop complaining." Came an unexpected response. "Move over."

Hinata looked up to see Shikamaru in the moonlight of her room. He was pulling his chunin vest off. His hair was unbound and messy. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed.

She shifted over automatically as he approached her futon. He laid down on top of her covers and then pulled her body towards his.

"Ah." Hinata gasped in relief. His body warmth through the covers was enough to bring some relief to her fevered senses.

Shikamaru repressed his hormonal response. "Try to rest, you'll probably start sweating out the fever in a few hours." He said.

Hinata nodded into his shoulder. "Th..thank you for coming back and…taking care of me."

"hm." He responded noncommittal. The young genius shadow master was embarrassed to admit how much he was worried about her. He had gone home, showered and slept for a few hours. But when he woke up in the middle of the night, he had woken up worried. It was easy enough to convince himself to roll out of bed and let himself into Kurenai's home.

Hinata shifted closer to Shikamaru and tangled her leg over his. Shikamaru sighed and indulged by shifting Hinata so she partially lay across him and he could place his hand on her lower back. The blankets were a mess bunched up between them. At least she had stopped shivering.

"This…this is getting to be to a habit." Hinata mumbled in her sleep.

"A nice one." Shikamaru whispered back.

Hinata yawned and pulled at the blankets. Shikamaru twisted and let her pull the blankets out from between them. She dropped back to her previous position. Half sprawled across her breathing space heater. Shikamaru wondered if she was even awake. Her breasts pressed against this chest and he found himself enjoying the sensation more than he should. His fingers skimmed her nightgown and down the length of her back. He replaced his hand to rest on her lower back.

"That's better." Hinata stated in a sleepy voice. Now, Shikamaru was convinced that the shy Hyuuga was asleep. Her modest would have caused her to faint by now if she was awake.

Shikamaru closed his eyes and relaxed into sleep. Hinata's small hand was fisted in his shirt. Her pale face was peaceful. Hopefully when she woke up next her fever would have broken.

………………….

Hinata woke up slowly. Her first impression was that she was sticky. But she felt a lot better. As she cracked her eyes open she remembered that Shikamaru had come back to check on her in the middle of the night. Hinata held her breath as she tried to remember how he had ended up in bed with her. Again.

A moment later she let her breath out in a whosh and realized she didn't care. Shikamaru was with her and she liked it. She shifted again to try to make her damp nightclothes more comfortable. She felt rather then saw when Shikamaru put his palm on her forehead again.

"You're much better." He stated.

Hinata nodded and smiled up at him. "Y…yes. Thank you."

Shikamaru smirked back. "Ah, I'm just glad you are feeling better." He blushed slightly. "I should go?" He half asked, half stated.

"Oh, um, you…you don't have to." What was she saying! "I mean, I need to get out of these clothes. Err." Hinata stopped at Shikamaru's eye's widened. "I…I mean. I'm going to take a quick shower. You can stay and rest. It's too late to go home. Or too early." She finally finished.

Hinata moved to get out of the futon and the tangle of blanket and boy. It was only as she was grabbed hard by the arms that she realized that climbing over Shikamaru was perhaps not the wisest course of action.

"Don't move so fast." Shikamaru whispered. Was his voice husky? "You'll make yourself sick again."

Hinata nodded and then looked directly in Shikamaru's eyes. She buried her head into his neck and hugged him awkwardly while practically on top of him. Hinata gently pressed her lips to his neck and he felt her tongue accidentally brush his skin. Hinata rolled away before he could react and wobbled to her feet.

"I'm feeling much better. I'm going to clean up. Please stay." She said quickly and left the room before Shikamaru could react.

Shikamaru lay still in her futon and wondered when he had fallen in love with Hyuuga Hinata.

………………

_Author's Note: Please review!_

_I'm not sure when or if I will update this story again. I hope you enjoyed this chapter._


	4. Ganbatte

_Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and probably Shonen Jump, with license to Viz Media_

_Translation note: _

_"Ganbatte" means "Do your best." It's used when trying to encourage someone (e.g. someone facing a challenge, having a difficult test at school or important meeting at work). _

_"Ganbarimasu" means "I'll do my best" and is a common response to "Ganbatte."_

* * *

**Ganbatte**

Shikamaru looked at the disaster that was once Kurenai's tidy living room. There were baby bottles, baby spoons, small face towels, and hooded bath towels piled in a box to the right. A random assortment of bottles labeled baby shampoo; baby oil, baby lotion and other ointments were spilling out of a shopping bag.

He turned and nearly tripped on a gigantic box of diapers. Wrapping paper and ribbons littered the floor. Abandon half-empty glasses were scattered on every horizontal surface.

Shikamaru expected a mess, but what shocked him was the sheer quantity of clothes. _Cute_ baby clothes. His eye twitched. It seemed completely impossible that any one child could require so much stuff.

The genius shinobi sighed. Live and learn. "Where is Kurenai-sensei?" He asked finally.

Hinata smiled at the bewildered young man. "The girls wanted to take her out for a special pregnancy message and spa treatment. They won't be back for a few hours."

Shikamaru paused before he spoke. Hinata was obviously still here. She either didn't want to go or felt she should stay behind. Probably wanted to clean up the place before Kurenai returned. He was sure that Sakura and Ino and even Anko would have helped clean up after they returned. So why…?

"I want Kurenai to have a nice time and come home relaxed. If everyone was helping to clean up when they returned, Kurenai-sensei would have felt uncomfortable." Hinata explained before he could ask.

"You gave up a professional massage to clean? A true sign of love." Shikamaru teased as he started to pick up the debris in the living room. This was going to take a while. Who knew a baby shower would create so much work.

Hinata blushed. "I…I don't mind." She was uncomfortable with any kind of praise. "Besides, Kiba offered to make it up to me. He was going to help me clean up but was called away for a mission." She explained as she folded and sorted the hundred little pieces of baby clothing into neat piles. Hinata smiled as she watched the infamously lazy genius moving through the mess to help. A year ago, he wouldn't have even bothered to visit Kurenai and Asuma's home. He would have been content to meet Asuma on the training grounds or the BBQ restaurants. Now he practically lived here and helped in every small way that he could.

Shikamaru kept moving through the room, putting trash away. His mind stumbled on what he heard. "How is Kiba going to make it up to you?" He asked out loud.

Hinata didn't notice the hint of suspicion in Shikamaru's tone. "Either he will give me a massage or he'll do the family dinner dishes for a month. My choice." Kiba was a good helper to prepare the weekly Team Asuma, Team Kurenai group dinner dubbed the "family dinner." But the Akamaru and his partner always disappeared around clean up time. Something to do with his enhanced sense of smell and the dish soap. Or so he claimed. Typical Inuzuka excuse.

"Help with dishes would be good." Shikamaru commented.

"You just want a break from drying dishes." Hinata teased. She noticed the 3 to 6 months baby clothes pile was getting ridiculously high. She continued to sort and wondered if she should pick a few to exchange for larger sizes.

"Giving you a massage seems more like a privilege then a penance." Shikamaru explained. "Dishes are a better deal." He eyed the countertop full of dirty dishes from the baby shower.

Hinata giggled and started working her way through another pile of gifts. She made notes as she went through the mess of gifts. Shikamaru smiled at the sound of her happiness and turned away from the pile of dirty dishes to find another task. Any other task.

"I'd rather give you a massage then help you clean." Shikamaru quipped. He decided that Hinata had the best job of sorting and organizing the gifts and sat down next to her to help.

Hinata blushed at his comment and his proximity. Before she could respond, a messenger bird from Hokage Tower interrupted them. The bird alighted on the window frame. It indicated Shikamaru with a nod of its head.

The light-hearted moment ended abruptly.

They didn't need to speak. Hinata continued her notes and organizing while Shikamaru took the message and read it. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes as he tipped his head backward. She didn't ask.

He would either tell her about it or not. She trusted his judgment.

After a few moments of silence, he explained. "Mission, A-ranked, starts in 2 hours at the gate."

Hinata stopped moving for a moment as she processed what he had said. Then she picked up another baby outfit, folded it, stacked it and noted her list. Shikamaru watched her pale calloused hands ghost gracefully over the soft fabric meant for the baby. He could remember the warm soft touch of her fingertips and palms when she checked him for injuries.

"Solo?" She asked finally unable to wait for him to continue.

"No, a chunin will meet me at the gate and has further details of the mission." He replied.

"Ah." She commented as she finally finished with the gifts. A bit of her unease left her. A-ranked missions were common fare for Shikamaru, but the solo missions were more worrisome. She was glad he had a partner.

"You don't have much time." She realized as the she looked at the clock. Preparing for an A-ranked mission would require some thought. There were few simple A-ranked missions. The boy genius formerly known for his laziness NEVER received a simple mission.

"Yeah." He drawled as stared at the ceiling as though hoping it would open up and reveal the sky to him.

"You can get ready here, it will save some time. Between Kurenai and myself, you should be able stock up on anything you need." Hinata suggested. A small part of her simply wanted him to stay close for as long as he could. But she buried that in the obvious reason. Shikamaru-kun didn't need to waste time running back to his home and then back out towards the gate just to pick up a few shuriken.

Hinata stood up and offered her hand to her friend. Shikamaru took it and allowed himself to be pulled up. If he was standing a bit too close, neither of them seemed to mind. Hinata keep his hand in hers and moved through the messy room toward her room.

Shikamaru tamped down on his hormones as his teenage mind imagined all the different reasons she could be guiding him to her room. Despite their close friendship and a few intimate moments of comfort, Hinata had never given him the impression that she wanted more. It was both comforting and frustrating to know that this kunoichi accepted him and would not make any demands of him.

His affection for her continued to grow with each moment spent with her.

"Well, um…what do you need?" Hinata asked him. Shikamaru blinked and realized they were in her room. She was kneeling by the futon. His mind processed several mental images which involved her, the futon and considerably less clothes. The images were gone in an instant as he noticed that she had begun to lay out her weapons and tools methodically on her futon.

Standard issue kunei, senbon, shuriken and other metal weapons were neatly organized in one bundle. A multi-pocket folder was open revealing stacks of precise calligraphy on tags for a variety of explosives and other jutsu. Hinata heaved a larger container that rattled slightly. "This box has various types of medicinal salves. Everything from a simple liniment oil for sore muscles to creams to disinfect or help blood clotting." She explained. She pointed to one section "These are lotions to neutralize the effects of topical poisons."

Hinata continued to pull things and lay them on her futon. Shikamaru took a moment to admire her organization and thoroughness. "Hinata, I think you have a more complete set of tools and weapons than the village armory plus the hospital emergency room."

Hinata smiled. "The right tool at the right moment can be the difference between life and death for a shinobi." She quoted from the academy.

"Hopefully your life and the other guys death." Shikamaru finished the sentiment with Iruka-sensei's quote. Iruka-sensei's humor often helped the young academy children cope with more difficult aspect of their dangerous profession. Somehow the thin joke fell flat now that they were experienced fighters in an on-going conflict.

Shikamaru shook off the thought and removed his vest. He reviewed the limited information in the message and formulated a packing list in his mind. He quickly checked his vest and pulled a few things from the futon. He tested the weight of a medicinal salve jar and decided to pack it. Hinata's salve always had either lavender or jasmine to blunt the sharps smells from the medicine. He liked that. It reminded him of her.

He rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck then rechecked his gear. It looked complete. The shadow master nin was tired. There were another half dozen things he wanted to help Kurenai-sensei with before the baby came. It was only a week before the due date, though the doctor had predicted a that the baby would be even later. Something about first born's always being more cautious and waiting for everything to be "just right."

Shadow fell on across his face as he realized he only had a little over an hour before he had to leave for the gate and the start of his mission. Time was always running short. Shikamaru patted down his solider pills compartment and then pulled the small box out to double check the quantity. 3 day mission, 12 soldier pills. He counted out 13 pills. He absently rolled the thirteenth pill between his thumb and forefinger.

Hinata silently and efficiently put away the extra gear. It looked like Shikamaru had what he needed. She worried about him as his played with the soldier pill. It was very tempting to take a soldier pill when you were tired or stress. The belief that just a little more charka would provide that extra boost. But Shikamaru knew the dangers of the round little bitter medicine pills.

The Hyuuga heiress cleared her mind of concern and painted a small smile on her face. "Ganbatte Shikamaru." She said. _Do your best._

Shikamaru heart warmed to hear his name on her lips. He looked up from the solider pill and saw her clear eyes shining with trust and faith. She wore her emotions openly.

"Ganbarimasu Hinata." He replied. _I'll do my best_, he promised. He tucked the thirteenth pill back in its small box. The small box disappeared into his vest.

Shikamaru ran a final check on his gear. His vest and weapons pouches were secured and packed correctly. They would be traveling light and fast. He had just enough for a three-day mission and not more. He and his mission partner would either have to buy food or hunt it.

He lifted the vest to put back on. Hinata tugged the vest from his hands and put it on the floor to the side. Shikamaru didn't ask as she unzipped and took off her own hooded jacket. Hinata sat on top of her futon and set the clock alarm to go off in less than one hour.

Her face was burning with a deep blush as she laid down on the futon and curled to one side. She closed her eyes to the afternoon sun filtering in through the window.

Shikamaru stared as the obvious invitation sank into his quick mind. It wouldn't be the first time they had slept on the same futon together. It wouldn't even be the fifth time.

Stress, irregular schedules, bloody nightmares created the need to remember simple human contact. On her futon, Shikamaru and Hinata found their own humanity. But it was always fueled by their friendship and compassion. It also usually followed a hard mission and they had an excuse of exhaustion or illness. The darkness and weariness of the evening helped erase their embarrassment and natural shyness.

Today, Shikamaru closed the curtains to block some of the afternoon sun. He didn't question Hinata's motives and climbed onto the futon to curl up behind her. He hesitated to touch her and was surprised when Hinata pulled his arms to wrap around her waist. His hands were on her stomach. Her hands were covering his.

Shikamaru's apprehension increased as he used the new position to pull her back flush against his body. He could feel her stiff shoulder relax as he buried his face in the nook between her neck and shoulder. He inhaled the scent of smell of jasmine and some kind of medicinal herbs. The Nara genius loved that scent, he dreamed of it sometimes.

He let go of new mission worries and planning. He let go of the worries about his mom coping with both Shikamaru and his father on constant missions. He let go of the ill-bred idea of the quick fix with a solider pill. He enjoyed the moment.

There was just one worry.

A sigh escaped his lips and he asked. "What about Kurenai-sensei?"

"Kurenai-sensei and the others won't be back until after you have to leave." Hinata replied. Her finger began to trace patterns on the back of his hand. "Go to sleep. Even 30 minutes of rest will help you tonight."

That was one of the problems of quick-start missions. It might start in the evening with travel all night eventually arriving at the destination completely sleep deprived. It was a tough way to start your day, especially when your life was at stake.

They were both asleep in minutes as they let their training take over. A shinobi must be able to take rest whenever they are able to.

.......

The grating "beep beep beep" of Hinata alarm clock woke them both up. Shikamaru pressed a discrete kiss to the top of Hinata head. Hinata's hand fumbled for a moment and hit the alarm clock with a bit more force then necessary to shut it off.

They were both groggy, but Hinata acted first. Their bodies were still spooned together and she rotated to face him. She blushed as she realized that their faces ended up very close. So she rolled Shikamaru on his back and awkwardly leaned over him instead.

"Ganbatte Shikamaru." She said as her face showed her concern. _Do your best._

"Ganbarimasu Hinata." He replied a bit bemused by her serious expression. _I'll do my best._

He wondered what else she wanted to say. As she looked at him, not moving from her position above him. Her tightened slightly and he waited. She seemed to have decided something.

"When you return, come back here." She requested.

"Sure." Shikamaru agreed easily. He usually stopped by after each mission. Sometimes to check in on Kurenai-sensei and sometimes to bring groceries. It was part of his routine.

"No. I mean, come back here to me." She clarified.

Shikamaru forehead wrinkled as he allowed his confusion to show. It was true he didn't explicitly come to visit Hinata. Well, he did sometimes. It was just an odd request.

"We…we have un-unfinished business." Hinata stuttered her embarrassment as her face began to heat up.

Odd. Definitely odd. Shikamaru's confusion grew.

"Okay." He agreed, less certainly.

Hinata leaned over and kissed him.

First on his mouth, then small kisses on his check, his neck, his shoulder and behind his ear. By the time she got back to his mouth, Shikamaru was ready for her and kissed her back.

* * *

_Author's Note: Please review!_

_I'm not sure if I am done with this story. I kind of like this ending. So maybe this is a good stopping point. On the other hand, they haven't quite grown up yet and they are still on a journey to become "cool adults."_

_Happy Fall!_


	5. To Trust

_Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and probably Shonen Jump, with license to Viz Media_

**To Trust.**

They were bickering.

It was beyond odd.

"Family dinner" at a very pregnant Kurenai's consisted of Ino, Kiba, Akamaru, Shikamaru, and Hinata. Shino and Chouji were on missions. The group was used to the easy familiarity between their favorite genius and the shy Hyuuga. It was clear from the small touches, standing too close and another dozen gestures and glances. Hinata and Shikamaru had moved beyond friends.

To a shinobi, every breath was a gift and to share that with someone was an even greater blessing. Ino and Chouju approved. It seemed so unlikely that Hinata would harm their teammate in any way. So Hinata had gotten off without any confrontation.

Shikamaru was almost as lucky. He had been spared a physical confrontation. However, Shino & Kiba had use genjustu to "remind" him that they could find and destroy any target. Shikamaru was left with the slightly disturbing visual of his body covered with kikai as Akamaru dragged him through the streets and dumped him on his mom's doorstep.

Overall though, little had changed with the family dinners. Nara was too lazy and Hinata was too private for any public demonstrations of affection. But there were small changes. Shikamaru helped more with dinner and clean up. Hinata sat a little closer to him. He put food on her plate. She filled Kurenai's tea cup first followed by Shikamaru's every time. It was quite and sweet.

Usually.

"If you would have let me cut the vegetables, you wouldn't have sliced your finger." Shikamaru scolded.

"I am capable of cutting a few vegetables. It was a simple accident." Hinata replied with a frustrated sigh. A tiny amount of healing chakra was enough to heal the cut without leaving a scar.

"Of course you are capable. I am just saying you don't have to try to do everything by yourself." So said the shinobi once famous for his laziness.

Hinata responded by ignoring him.

Ino and Kiba looked at each other in confusion. Shikamaru was usually too lazy to argue and Hinata was too polite to argue.

Kurenai sighed. It was entertaining to see the troubles of young love, but it was time to cut the tension with some important information.

"I think I'm going into labor." The heavily pregnant jonin stated calmly.

Silence ruled for a moment.

An instant later Kiba and Akamaru were out the door with a brisk "I'll notify Shizune."

Hinata stood at the door with Kurenai's bag to take to the hospital.

Ino had her stethoscope on Kurenai's stomach and looking at her watch.

Shikamaru simply stood next to his sensei's widow and held her hand.

"The baby's heartbeat is good and the fluid sounds are normal. I could feel that last contraction. How do you feel Kurenai-sensei?" Ino asked.

"I'm okay. I thought it was another false alarm, all through the day the contractions seemed like they were getting more intense. But this is the third time I thought that." A faint sheen of perspiration covered her face. Even the toughest jonin could not completely ignore the pain of the onset of labor.

"So you waited a little longer this time?" Ino smiled.

Kurenai nodded as she stood up with Shikamaru still holding her hand. He hovered uncertainly as she made her way slowly to the door.

The walk to the hospital was slow. Kurenai would pause every minute or so and breathe heavily through the contractions. Ino, Shikamaru, Hinata flanked her like an escort service.

A few hours later Kurenai was settled in her hospital room. She was getting tired and still her baby was not ready for delivery. The soon to be mother sighed. Ino conferred with Shizune. Kiba, Akamaru, Hinata, and Shikamaru hovered nearby.

"Shizune-sempai says it could still be quite a few more hours. But nothing to worry about. It is well within the normal range." Ino explained to the others as Shizune left the small room.

Kiba let out an exasperated sigh. "Sheesh, it takes more time than whelping puppies."

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata scolded good-naturally.

Kiba merely grinned at her. Akamaru woofed his amusement. Ino rolled her eyes and good naturely poked Kiba in the ribs. Shikamaru merely twitched. The tension was still rolling off him in waves.

Kurenai looked sleepily around the room. She was lucky to be surround by love. Her young friends, who care so much about her and Asuma, would be a family for her child…if they didn't drive each other crazy first. With another sigh, Kurenai resolved to help them grow up as well. Even as brilliant young shinobi, they were still teenagers.

"Okay. Here is the plan." Kurenai announced. Startled, the group turned to look at her. They were unaware that a plan was required.

"One. It is going to be hours before the baby is born. Two. You want to help me for the next few days. Three. It is very late." She ticked off the facts. "Ideally I would send you all home to rest." Her red eyes flashed and forestalled their protests. "BUT I know you don't want me to be alone when the baby does come."

"So I want a standard rotation. One of you can stay for another 4 hours. Shizune can help find a place to nap. One can come back in 4 hours. Then we move to 6 hour shifts." She explained. Each person would have 18 hours to rest and take care of any other responsibilities.

Each of them had requested a few days reprieve from missions. Tsunade had agreed to try and would limit any missions to short ones within the village if possible. It was still wartime. Highly skilled jonin and chunin were constantly in demand. Shino and Chouji were on missions because it simply wasn't possible to keep all six of them off the duty roaster.

"Makes sense." Kiba agreed. He wasn't actually that keen on being around for the birth. Besides it made sense to approach the support for Kurenai like a mission and plan out a rotation schedule. "I'll take the second watch."

"I'll take this first round. I know the hospital and how things work around here." Ino volunteered. She was the most advanced in her medical skills and was a semi-regular hospital staff member. If Kurenai needed any additional attention, Ino would be able to get it for her. She was also the most excited to see the baby's actual birth.

Shikamaru slouched toward Kurenai. He took her hand and squeezed it. "Good luck." He could see she was tired. She wanted a bit of peace for herself as much as she was worried about them.

Kurenai smiled back. "Get some rest and relax." She said gratefully. Shikamaru was the most stubborn of the extended "family." He worried about fulfilling Asuma's trust and about caring for Asuma's child. Kurenai was happy that the brilliant young man accepted her plan without protest.

Hinata smiled from her place next to the bed. "Kurenai-sensei, I will return for the third shift." Kurenai nodded. Hinata would miss the birth of the baby. But she was exhausted and wanted to honor her sensei's wishes.

Kurenai nodded to Hinata and then pointed to the door. "Get some rest and relax. I'll be fine."

"I'll take good care of her and the baby." Ino promised.

"I'll be back in four hours. I'll bring some food." Kiba promised as he exited the small hospital room.

Hinata smiled gratefully at Ino. "Thanks Ino." Shikamaru took his place by Hinata's side and they left together.

* * *

After a quiet walk back to Kurenai's apartment, Shikamaru gently pulled Hinata into his arms.

"Why have we been fighting?" He asked as he breathed in the smell of jasmine in her hair. Kiba, Ino and Kurenai seemed very far away.

The drama of the moment slipped away and it was just the two of them.

Shikamaru worried and he planned. He planned and re-planned. He cared and he worried. And somewhere along the line, he started nagging. Hinata did so much for others and didn't worry about herself.

So he worried for her.

And it was natural that Shikamaru's nagging would grate on her hard earned self-esteem.

Hinata wrapped her own arms around Shikamaru's waist and mumbled. "I don't know." Every concern felt like a criticism. It felt like every moment was spent waiting for him to find something he couldn't accept. But as he held her, his firm body relaxed. She could feel it as he released some of the tension they lived with every day.

He sighed and felt the whisper of her soft hair against his cheek and the warmth of her curved body fit against him. His mind let go and he stopped planning and worrying.

Dishes sat on the table from the abandoned dinner. Kurenai was safely in the hospital with Ino. A beautiful, kind wonderful girl loved him.

She pressed herself so she could hear his heart and she could feel the flow of his chakra. Somewhere between his heartbeats, she realized that he was afraid of accepting their small happiness. He was afraid of losing it and that made him worried. With realization came instant forgiveness.

"I think. We need a little more trust. More trust in that things will work out okay." She said quietly.

Without further discussion, they both understood.

It was ridiculous. They were both shinobi in the middle of a war. The odds were that one or both of them would not live to see the end of the war were unfortunately high.

And yet, what did it matter? They were going to love each other. They were going to protect the village and the ones they loved.

They could choose to accept the time they had together and be happy. Trust in the future. Have some hope in the moment.

Or they could worry and bicker and nag.

Not a difficult choice after all.

"Are you tired?" He asked. Before she could answer, he added. "I'm exhausted. This baby is going to be so troublesome."

Hinata smiled into his vest. Some things did not change. She curled her fingers to grip his waist a little tighter. She wanted to hold on to him and on to this moment a little longer.

"Let's go to bed." Hinata blushed and hid under her long hair as she whispered the suggestion.

"Ah." Shikamaru smiled as he agreed.

It was a strange relationship. It was quiet and filled with love. It was awkward with long days spent apart on missions. It was private but not secret.

They stood in silence making no move to the small bedroom. A gentle shove put Shikamaru on the defense. Hinata kissed him. It was the best kind of kiss. The gentle kind, which heighten his awareness of everything about her. The softens of her lips, the heat from her skin, the way her hair felt as it slipped between his fingers. Everything about her was endlessly interesting.

With a sigh Hinata relaxed into his love and acceptance. Every gentle caress held the promise that he cared. A small tug of his fingers as they combed her hair magnified the sense that he really saw her. He always kept his eyes open when he kissed her. As though he wanted to be sure to capture every moment of their time together.

"I love you."

"I know." A small laugh and a giggle followed. "I love you too."

_

* * *

_

Author's Note: Please review!

_I'm not particularly excited with this chapter. But it has been sitting on my pc waiting for to be edited and posted for awhile, so i finally decided...just to put it out there. I hope you enjoyed it. _

_I think one more chapter…but no idea when I will get to it. They have a least one more stop on the journey to become "cool adults."_

_Happy Spring!_


	6. To Commit

_Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and probably Shonen Jump, with license to Viz Media_

_Author's note: no beta. Thanks very much for the lovely reviews! I really enjoy your comments and I would definitely not have written this without your support. It helps to know that someone wants to read it :)._

* * *

**To Commit**

"Kurenai developed minor complications and will need extended recovery time." Shizune explained. "I recommend that she get as much help as possible to regain her strength quickly."

"And the baby is okay?" Shikamaru asked to clarify.

Shizune smiled, "Baby Sarutobi is fine. A healthy screaming boy." She paused and held Shikamaru's gaze seriously. "But Kurenai lost more blood than expect and is anemic. She wants to nurse the baby and so that will be an additional demand on her body." Shizune continued with more detailed instructions for a few minutes before she handed Ino the paperwork.

"Basically she needs to rest and take iron supplements." The kind medic nin smiled encouragingly.

"Thank you Shizune-san." Ino said warmly.

"An infant is a lot of responsibility. But having a baby is a natural part of life." Shizune reassured the slightly shell shocked Shikamaru. "Kurenai Yuuhi is a strong woman. She'll be fine."

All the reading and researching helped. But it was surprisingly simple. There was a small baby completely helpless in the other room. The young man tried to return her smile and managed to lift one corner of his mouth. Shizune patted his arm in encouragement and left to return to her other duties.

Shikamaru and Ino returned to Kurenai's darkened room. They moved quietly to not disturb the sleeping jonin. The fussy red faced newborn took a deep breath. Before the infant could unleash a cry that would wake, not just his mother but also most of the hospital floor, Ino deftly picked him up. She adjusted his blankets tightly and began to bounce him gently. Shikamaru sighed in relief even as he wondered at the constant attention that would be required for one tiny little person. He had not expected a small version of Asuma-sensei...but he also had not expected the squishy noisy bundle in Ino's arms.

Baby fawn were standing on their own within minutes.

The books indicated that human babies could not even roll over for at least three months.

"Troublesome." He sighed.

"It won't be too bad, Shikamaru. Typically recovery time is 2 to 6 weeks. Kurenai will need 6 to 12 weeks with a lot of help and a lot of rest." Ino smirked. "We can all help out. And I know with your big brain you can figure out how to make sure a least one of us is available to help Kurenai and the baby."

Shikamaru nodded in acknowledgment. In the dim light of the room, he could see the pale and exhausted form of his sensei's widow. Kurenai was a strong and capable woman. But she was smart enough to know when she needed help. Shikamaru, Ino, Hinata and the others would help in every way they could.

"I'll discuss it with Hinata. It's pretty hard for the village to keep any of us off the roster for more than a few days." He replied. Ino ignored his pessimism. She knew that Shikamaru would find a way. War or no war, Shikamaru would make sure that they could help care for Asuma-sensei's family.

The next day, Shikamaru and Hinata worriedly discussed how Kurenai would cope with the rotating help of Team 8 and Team 10 (the extended Asuma-Kurenai "family.") The young genius and influential heiress developed a plan.

* * *

Shikamaru worked with Shizune to review mission requests and knew exactly when members of the extended "family" would be assigned to long missions outside the village. He and Hinata constantly developed alternative team compositions to ensure someone was in Konoha (who was not injured) to help Kurenai.

The benefit to the village was that newer chunin got more mission opportunities and lesser-known but experienced chunin were circulated into more critical mission. Overall the skill mix and camaraderie throughout the ranks improved.

Every time Kurenai would allow it, her baby boy was whisked away so his mother could recuperate. Shikamaru and Hinata had both asked for two weeks break from missions after baby Sarutobi was born. It was a stretch, but Tsunade had allowed it.

After that, there was an even higher demand for their services to the village. So each member of the extended Asuma-Kurenai family helped out. Shikamaru and Hinata tracked and shuffled everyone's schedule around missions, doctor's appointments, training sessions, grocery shopping and naps.

Shikamaru took baby Ryouta through the Nara lands. Shino showed him the inner sanctum of the Aburume home. Even Hyuuga Hiashi welcomed the youngest Sarutobi into the Hyuuga home. Sarutobi Ryouta, bundled in his infant blankets, saw a lot of training grounds as his extended family took turns sparing with each other or training genins.

Hinata insisted a member of the Hyuuga clan staff help twice a week, every week. Kurenai reluctantly accepted the help of the Hyuuga only after Hyuuga Hiashi himself had visited her (at Hinata's request). The normally aloof Hyuuga patriarch was unexpectedly touched by the sight of the dark hair baby bundle and his normally vibrant jonin mother. Hiashi wove a few careful statements into his visit to Kurenai's home: "Your child requires a healthy mother." "This is a small thing." "Hinata considers you family." The simple statements warmed Kurenai's hormonal state of mind and she was able to set aside her concerns and accept the support.

So Hyuuga Amane, a warm and efficient woman, became a regular face in Kurenai's home helping cleaning, cooking and laundry. She blended into the chaotic routine and somehow Hyuuga Hiashi became a semi-regular visitor as well. Occasionally he would walk Hyuuga Amane from the Hyuuga compound to Kurenai's home. He would stay for tea with Kurenai and had even held the baby. Much to Kurenai and Hinata's surprise, Hyuuga Hiashi was remarkable comfortable with the infant.

Sarutobi Ryouta dark, expressive eyes saw some of the most private areas of Konoha's oldest clans. He was serious like his mother and seemed to take each new environment in stride. Ryouta was at ease, whether he was napping in bundle on Shino's back or taking a bottle from Kiba while laying a heap on Akamaru. He smiled occasionally. Like most infants, it was not clear if it was true expression of joy or just passing gas. But he seemed to save his biggest smiles for his mother, Uncle Shikamaru and for Auntie Hinata.

* * *

It had been twelve weeks since Shikamaru committed nearly every waking moment to caring for Asuma-sensei's widow and son. He and Chouji had just returned from two weeks in rain country. The last week spent dragging a beaten, drugged Konoha criminal back to the village for interrogation.

Despite the dangerous nature of his recent mission, Shikamaru had many hours of mind numbingly boring guard duty. He filled those moments with thoughts of Hinata. As a genius in strategy, it was an easy habit to visualize the possibilities. Over the course of his mission, his mind sifted through hundreds of different scenarios with Hinata. Some were typical of a hormonal teenage boy. Some involved their friends and family and baby Ryouta. Some involved terrible scenes that were unfortunately common in their shinobi life.

The only common thread was that Hinata loved him and he loved her. Shikamaru could see that one constant, clear and unwavering.

Shikamaru stood in the shower and washed the grim off. He scrubbed his skin with a small white towel he had never seen before. His mind wondered through the last time he had seen Hinata. They had shared a few rare intimate moments. He could remember the feel of her soft lips against his and her fingers on his back as she pressed against his body. The warmth of her breath as she whispered her love for him. That was four weeks ago.

Shikamaru sighed and exited the shower. He missed her. He dried himself quickly, tied the towel around his waist and exited the bathroom. He made his way to the small guest room to change into fresh clothes and nearly crashed into Ino.

"Shikamaru!" Ino hissed. She held a sleeping Ryouta in a bundle of blankets.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Shikamaru waved with both hands up. "I didn't know you were here." He leaned over to peer at the boy. The baby yawned and completely ignored him as he settle in his sleep. Ryouta little face looked bigger and the bundle looked a little bulkier. "He's grown."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Yes genius. Little ones get bigger every-time they sleep. He should triple his birth weight in twelve months or less." Shikamaru smiled at the baby. His dark tufts of hair stood straight up. Ino was wonderful with the baby. Her training as a medic nin meant that she had endless bits of information at the tip of her tongue. And she was remarkably gentle yet firm with the often squirming infant. All the guys seemed to be afraid that Ryouta would break or bruise if they were too firm (except Kiba).

"I'm putting him down for his nap." Ino stated as she nudged past the towel-clad Shikamaru.

"Good luck with that." He muttered sarcastically but without any heat as his blonde teammate pushed past him. Shikamaru had struggled through many afternoons with a cranky over-tired baby Ryouta who refused to nap. So he understood the precious moments of peace that came with a content sleeping child.

Shikamaru walked into Kurenai's guest room with a little more energy. Just seeing baby Ryouta healthy and safe made helped him overcome the fatigue and tension from his mind and body. He quickly located his bag of clean clothes in the messy room. It was tucked in a corner near the futon. Ino and Hinata were more likely to spend the night and had taken over the closet. Shikamaru dug around the spare clothes he kept in the bag and pulled out a black t-shirt and a pair of civilian pants. After he dressed, he took a moment to lay down on the futon. His let his eyes close as he remembered with a smile the times he had shared the futon with Hinata. Her constant blush, the warm of her curves as she pressed against him, and the smell of jasmine.

He indulged in his memories for few moments as he slowly let exhaustion drug his body into sleep.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, he woke to the sound of voices in the apartment. Hinata and Ino were speaking softly. Shikamaru smiled. His body ached and there were a million things to do. But he could hear his two of his precious people planning something. It could be anything, from a birthday party to the medical nin exams to an S-class mission. They were remarkable women.

It felt like home.

Shikamaru quickly dressed, haphazardly threw his towel and dirty clothes in the hamper in the bathroom and made his way to the kitchen. Hinata was in front of him the moment he walked through the doorway. She hugged him and held him.

"Tadaima" He mumbled. _I'm back._

"Okaeri." She responded as she tightened her arms around him one more time before she release him. _Welcome home._

Ino smiled at their small affection and rose to get another cup for tea. Shikamaru and Hinata sat down together. Their shoulders pressed gently together was the only indication of how much they had missed each other.

"We were talking about the unit on the 3rd floor. Mrs. Haruka is moving out next month. We were thinking that it is time to give Kurenai some space and her spare bedroom back." Ino explained. "So we were trying to figure out if it would make sense for Hinata and I to move in together into that unit. It's a small place and a little pricey, but we could still be close by. And - "

"No." He interrupted.

"Excuse me?" Ino asked perplexed at his out of hand statement. She and Hinata had been discussing this for weeks while Shikamaru was on his mission. What the hell did he know?

"No. It's not a good idea." He repeated deliberately. Shikamaru's eyes were sharp as things fell into place.

"Well why the hell not?" Ino demanded. She looked at Shikamaru's determined expression and changed her approach. "Look," She stated more calmly. " I know you like to control everything, but you have to face it. Kurenai is mostly recovered and she is going to want to have her privacy back. She already started training again. That's where she is now." Ino explained with some sadness in her voice. Ino could see the constant swirl of people and "help" was going to feel smothering eventually. It was wonderful to be such a close part of baby Ryota's life, but they all needed to give mother and child some space too.

"I agree with Ino." Hinata stated firmly. She reached for Shikamaru's hand under the table to soften her words.

Shikamaru tangled his fingers with Hinata's smaller calloused ones. "I agree that Kurenai needs her privacy." He explained. "I don't think you and Hinata should take Mrs. Hakura's apartment."

He met Ino's clear gaze with one of his own. "This place is too far from the hospital and the flower shop. It has never been convenient for you. You can't decide to live here and commit to wasting a lot of time commuting back and forth. Your family still needs to see you and your duties at the hospital are endless."

Ino wrinkled her nose at his logic. She knew he had a point. She crossed her arms with a small huff of frustration. Ino looked to Hinata for support. Hinata knew that Ino was willing to make the sacrifice, but it wasn't practical.

"I-I guess I could still rent it. By myself. We are pretty close the Hyuuga compound." Hinata offered.

Ino objected. "It would be pricey for two people, and much too expensive for just one. You know your father would not approve. Hyuuga-sama might not stop you, but he won't help either."

Hinata sighed. That was true too. "It might be the best option though. I can manage the rent for 6 months. Maybe a year." The implicit part of the statement was that with the war and missions, a year was all they could plan for anyway.

"No." Shikamaru squeeze her hand. "We should rent it together." He stated simple.

A different type of girl would have been offended. It would have annoyed her romantic sensibilities that her boyfriend was suggesting that they live together for convenience. She would have been upset that the private moment was shared with her boyfriend's closest female friend.

But Hinata was a shinobi and a Hyuuga. She turned the idea over in her mind. The location relative to the Nara lands, the Hyuuga home and the Hokage tower was reasonable. Ino and the others could still crash at their place instead of Kurenai's home. It would work. The only problem was...

"It's a one bedroom unit. You and Hinata would be sharing a bedroom." Ino stated confused. "Are you...are you ready for that?" She asked both of them. Shikamaru may have a big brain but sometimes he overlooks the social aspect of his ideas. While is seemed likely that Shikamaru understood what he was suggesting, Hinata was still a very proper Hyuuga heiress. It was even more unlikely that Haishi was support this approach.

"I am." Shikamaru stated. He looked Hinata in the eyes. "You can appoint Neji or Hanabi's heirs as your heir or I can appoint my cousin's kids as my heir." Hinata's eyes clouded for moment and then widened as she realized the implication of what he had said.

"What are you talking about?" Ino huffed in irritation.

Hinata looked away from Shikamaru to explain to Ino. "When Shikamaru is clan head, his heir must be either his own child or a close blood relative. The same is true for myself. If I choose to be Hyuuga clan heir and earn that privilege, then my heir must be my own child or a close blood relative to ensure that the bloodline remains strong."

"I get that!" Ino snapped. "What does that have to do with Mrs. Haruka's apartment and you two living together...ehhh?" Ino gasped and stood up. Her eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands together. While Ino was not the "genius" of their generation, she was very intelligent and remarkably intuitive, especially about people.

"WHEN DID YOU GET ENGAGED?" she asked happily and loudly.

A small crying noise erupted from Kurenai's room. All three shinobi winced.

"I'll go get him. But I want details when I get back!" Ino stated as she was halfway to the door, ready to comfort the sleepy Ryouta.

Shikamaru and Hinata sat together in the kitchen and listened to the sounds of Ino as she soothed the baby. Hinata sat motionless as her mind worked through Shikamaru's words and Ino's question. Hinata's face flushed as turned her eyes to stare at their clasped hands on the table. Shikamaru sighed.

"I mean it Hinata." He squeezed her hand gently and brought to his lips. "I'm ready." He brushed a soft kiss against the side of her fingers. "I missed you." Hinata smiled slightly at his words. They left for each mission with the uncertainty of return. They said goodbye to each other, their friends, their students with the certainty that it might be the last time. The age expectancy for shinobi involved in waging war was not good. For the shinobi who took A class missions as a routine and was frequently asked to plan S class mission, the age expectancy was even worse.

She knew him well enough to understand the depth behind his words.

_"I mean it" meant "I figured out how to make it work. Our family and clans will accept it."_

_"I'm ready" meant "We don't need to wait."_

_"I missed you" meant "I love you."_

Hinata looked up from staring at their clasped hands.

"I missed you, too." she finally said. She sighed and he pulled her from her chair and into his lap. Hinata wrapped her arms behind his neck. Shikamaru hugged her close and buried his head in her neck and against her chest. He pressed a kiss to her clothed shoulder.

"Do you really think the Nara and Hyuuga will accept it?" Hinata asked softly. The warmth from his solid body pressed against her curves and she wondered if it would be possible imprint the memory in this sense of love and acceptance.

Shikamaru held her tighter and then stilled. The soft scent of jasmine from Hinata's hair teased him. The clean smell of soap from Shikamaru's skin comforted her. The weight of their duty lay oppressively all around. The duty to serve the village through blood and pain. The duty to lead their clans with through strength and wisdom. The duty to protect their loved ones through death and birth.

Hinata's unanswered question sat in the silent swirl of the ever present sense of duty.

Shikamaru sighed. As Hinata felt the breath from his body move the air, she suddenly knew the answer herself. Nara Shikamaru was brilliant and had found a way. It was an approach that would not make the Nara nor the Hyuuga happy. But it was possible. But it required commitment to make it happen.

"We will make them accept it." She whispered the answer to her own question. Hinata pulled Shikamaru into an intimate kiss. She tugged at his slightly chapped lips with her own and gently expressed her love.

He ran his palms along her back, pressing her as close as possible. His heart and his hormones screaming at him _mine, mine, mine._ His mind filled in the blanks..._mine to love, mine to have, mine to cherish._

The next few minutes passed full of kisses and caresses. The shower had washed his body. Hinata's love washed the grime from his mind and soul.

* * *

"Guys, get a room!" Ino interrupted with a huff. She flopped back in the kitchen chair. Ino lifted her eyebrow as she eyed her pair of friends wrapped around each other. "So immodest." She teased with an infectious smile.

Shikamaru and Hinata turned slightly away from each other and blushed. Shikamaru released Hinata as she slid off his lap and back into her own chair.

"So...engaged?" Ino asked as her eyes twinkled with excitement.

Shikamaru looked at Hinata with a small smirk.

"Yes." Hinata blushed. "We..." She paused and then smiled and said with certainty. "We are going to get married."

Shikamaru smirk grew as Ino starting bombarding Hinata with questions and suggestions about everything from how to set up house for the newlyweds in Mrs. Haruka's apartment to the types of flowers for the wedding. Hinata smiled and let Ino speculate and plan and enjoyed the moment.

In their world filled with duty, every duty was one that they embraced and made their own. Underneath every duty was a choice. And in every choice was a commitment based in love. Love for the village. Love for family and friends. Love for that person who would be a partner for life.

Shikamaru's mind reminded him that he has a long mission report to complete. He should check the supplies and see if Kurenai needed anything, food, diapers, etc. He hadn't been home yet to see his mom, though he had sent word from the gate so she would know he had returned safely. The Hokage would likely want him to review the next chunin exam plans. He should really get going.

Shikamaru smiled as he watched Hinata blushed and Ino teased.

It was good to be home.

* * *

_Author's Note: I wrote this in many fits and starts, so I hope it still flows okay. I didn't do much on the final edit. I tried, but I thought it better to post it than let it sit on my computer for another 2 months._

_One more chapter to go._

_Please review!_


	7. To have and to hold

_Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and probably Shonen Jump, with license to Viz Media_

_Author's note: no beta, all mistakes are my own. Thanks very much for the reviews! I really enjoy your comments and I would definitely not have written this without your support. It helps to know that someone wants to read it :). – Warning. This is a different writing style then the rest of the chapers. It just came out that way. I hope it works. Let me what you think._

* * *

**To Have and to Hold**

_Hinata in surgery. Come at once._

_-Ino _

Shikamaru transitioned the mission planning work to Genma and walked out of the Hokage tower within 6 minutes. Another 4 minutes to get to the hospital through the wind and rainstorm. And then 3 more minutes to find out the correct surgery unit. Thirteen minutes.

It took thirteen minutes to walk from their apartment to the corner store and back to pick up popcorn for movie night. It took thirteen minutes to set one trap in the Forest of Death for the chunin exam. Thirteen minutes was 8 minutes longer than the longest time Hinata could stand to let him tickle her before she would retaliate with a mix of kissing and a well place poke with her gentle fist to temporarily immobilize his left wrist.

Shikamaru walked at a deliberately through the familiar hospital halls. He turned left at the end and then up the stairs. His white knuckle grip on the note in his right hand, the only sign of his anxiety.

Shikamaru wondered if thirteen minutes was the length of time it took for his whole world to change. For Hinata to disappear from this life.

He found the surgery unit.

He found the worried faces of Hinata's teammates on her current mission, Naruto and Sai. If they were worried, there was something to be worried about. If Hinata had died, they would be sad, angry, in denial. "Worried" implied hope.

Shikamaru took a deep breath.

Naruto jumped up. His fists clenched "Shikamaru! She's going to be alright." Naruto's nervous energy caused Shikamaru's stomach to twist.

Sai stood up more slowly. "She took a hit to the neck. It looked bad." He stated.

Shikamaru's mind whirled, but he stayed focused. "Who is operating? Ino or Sakura?"

"Tsunade." Sai answered. "With Ino as her assistant."

Shikamaru's felt sick. It must be critically bad for Tsunade to operate.

"Neck injuries are usually fatal in the field. How did you get her back?" His face tight and features darkened with the storm clouds passing the window.

Sai and Naruto exchanged a glance. "We didn't know it was that bad. Ino explained that the damage probably wasn't that bad initially. Just enough to hurt a lot. But after running back to Konoha, the damage to the major blood vessels and the spinal cord increased." Naruto explained as best as he could.

"Hinata must have realized something was wrong and come straight here. We didn't stop at the gate to check in, Hinata just kept going and then passed out halfway here."

The room fell silent and the three young men sat down.

Shikamaru's eyes were fixed on the surgery door. Waiting and willing Ino to walk out and explain everything. Was Hinata at risk of dying? Of paralysis?

Each minute seemed to stretch into an eternity. Naruto and Sai both looked tired and wet from their rushed return to Konoha. The rain storm outside grew noisy.

"I need to notify her father." Shikamaru stated. "You both should check in since you skipped the gate."

Sai crossed his arms. "She is our teammate." He didn't move.

"Then you should know that you have responsibility to report in your mission results since she cannot." Shikamaru said. He stood as he walked over to the nurses station to find a messenger.

Sai and Naruto exchanged a look and headed out to report.

Living or dying, they were all shinobi. They knew their duty and Hinata would not thank them for ignoring their responsibilities to wait idly outside her room. Shikamaru knew that.

* * *

"Hey."

Hinata opened her eyes. "Hi." she replied. She could feel the exhaustion in every cell of her body. She wondered if she was dying.

"You're going to recover. It was close." Shikamaru answered.

She smiled at him. He knew her so well. She felt the warmth of his hand holding hers and closed her eyes.

* * *

"Sorry."

Hinata opened her eyes. "It's okay." Ino finished taking her vitals and tucked her back in.

"Go back to sleep. Kurenai will bring Ryouta tomorrow to see you."

Hinata smiled. "Thanks Ino." Ino pulled the curtain closed to give Hinata privacy. She could still hear Ino's voice as she drifted back into sleep.

"But Ino..." Naruto complained.

"Go home. She needs to rest. And so do both of you. You can visit tomorrow." Ino shooed Sai and Naruto away.

* * *

"Hinata."

"Kurenai-sensei. Otou-sama." She smiled. Hinata reached out for the baby. "Ryouta!" The dark haired boy obligingly snuggled with his auntie as she hugged him. He reach out to grab a fist of her long unbound hair.

"You look much better than I expected daughter." Hyuuga Hiashi commented. "I'm glad to see that."

Hinata beamed that the small spoken affection from her reserved father. Kurenai smiled at the exchange. "I brought a few of your things from home. I understand you will be in the hospital for a little while." She unpacked a small bag with a hair brush, a small photo of a Asuma-Kurenai "family" dinner. A pretty yukata to wear as a bathrobe and a few other essentials.

"Let me brush your hair." Kurenai half-asked. It is a small gesture. A familiar gesture between close friends or between a mother and daughter. Hyuuga Hiashi wondered at the good fortune that brought Yuuhei Kurenai into his daughters life.

"I'm not sure Ryouta will let go for that long." Hinata replied with a giggle as she tickled the baby.

"I'll hold him." Hiashi stated as he reached to pulled the boy up. Hinata surrendered Ryouta to the Hyuuga patriarch without complaint. The mildly surprised look on the baby's face transformed into pleasure as Ryouta repeated his game of grabbing a fist full of Hiashi's long dark hair.

Hinata giggled at the slight. Kurenai smiled with affection.

She gently pulled the brush through Hinata's hair.

* * *

"Thank you for the flowers Sai-san. They are lovely." Hinata said. She admired the overly large yellow centers with the delicate white petals. The small cluster of flowers gave off a light pleasant smell. The smell of springtime.

"Chamomile, 'Energy in adversity'" Sai explained.

Hinata's grin grew broader. "They are perfect."

Sai's mouth twitched. A genuine moment of pleasure at the compliment. "I must go. My best wishes for a fast recovery, Hinata-san."

"Thank you Sai-san. Goodbye." Hinata replied.

Sai left with a quick "Goodbye." to Hinata and Naruto.

Naruto watched Sai go and then looked at Hinata's pale face with her dark hair in soft waves around her. She looked beautiful.

"We were both really worried about you Hinata-chan." Naruto said.

"I'm sorry. I should have let you know my condition."

"When Ino sent for Tsunade, we knew it was really bad. I...I was really scared." Naruto looked down at this feet. "I didn't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm okay now Naruto-kun." Hinata reassured him. She did not promise to be more careful. She did not say it would never happened again. They both knew that this was part of their life. "Don't feel bad about it Naruto. I'm sorry I worried you." She smiled to try and brighten his spirits.

"Hinata-chan, I haven't always been a good friend to you. I'm sorry." Naruto said. Hinata began to protest but he waved her to silence.

"Hinata-chan. I'm sorry I never answered your confession."

"That's okay Naruto-kun. I understand."

"It's not okay Hinata-chan. You almost died to save me from Pein. And I never answered you!"

She looked at him. Her blonde inspiration. His sunny smile twisted with guilt.

"Naruto. I watched you for a long time. I know you pretty well. You never give up. You are loyal and brave." Hinata smiled. "And you would never intentional hurt me." She looked into his bright blue eyes. "It's okay. I never expected a response."

Naruto sighed. But his smile relaxed and the guilt seemed to fade.

"Hinata-chan...I'm willing to try."

"Try what?" Hinata face showed her confusion.

"You know." Naruto replied. He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

Hinata replied with a blank look.

"I'm willing to try...things...with you." Naruto explained. "I'm answering your confession."

Hinata's face flamed red. Her eyes widened in extreme surprise.

She opened her mouth to speak.

And closed it again.

Naruto smiled, his charming sunny irrepressible smile. "I guess your surprised. Heh heh." He rubbed the back of his head again.

"Naruto-kun." she started. She took a deep breath. The redness of her face faded to pink.

She smiled at him.

"Naruto-kun, thank you." Hinata replied. Naruto let out a breath he was holding and reached for her hand. She let him hold her hand. "Thank you for your friendship."

* * *

"How could you not know?"

"Hey, we are on continuous missions and this was the first time I had been on a team with Hinata in a really long time. And Shikamaru never mentioned it!" Naruto defended.

"They've been living together for 2 months! They've been formally engaged for at least that long!" Ino said.

"I didn't know!"

"You're so dense Naruto." Ino sighed.

Naruto looked down studying the ground.

"You're lucky it was Shikamaru and Hinata. Any other couple and you would have been eating pieces of the wall." Ino said. She took pity on him and then curiosity prompted her to ask. "You didn't really want to date Hinata, did you?"

Naruto continued to study the ground. "Well Hinata is pretty awesome." He pushed his hands in his pockets. "I just...I felt like I should try. She confessed and I never really responded. And she took that hit for me. Even though I would have been able to take it, she tried to protect me. Again."

Ino's expression softened. "Hinata is a good kunoichi. Naruto, she did it because you were her teammate. And her friend."

"I know. It just reminded me of how amazing she is." He sounded wistful.

"I ought to beat the crap out of you for trying to mess up one of my best friends relationship." She muttered. She sighed as she took in Naruto's dejected expression.

Ino reluctantly consoled him.

* * *

"Hey."

"Nara-sama. Good afternoon." Hinata sat up a little straighter as her soon-to-be father-in-law came to sit by her hospital bed.

"You look well for someone who almost died last week." Shikaku smirked. "I expect nothing less from a strong kunoichi of your accomplishments."

Hinata's face warmed with the compliment. She was especially gratefully that he named her as a kunoichi and not as a hyuuga. One of the things she loved most about Shikamaru was that he saw her as an individual. Not "just" a Hyuuga.

"Thank you for visiting." She replied. It was kind of him to visit, but unusual. Yoshino had already visited and brought the well wishes from the Nara clan. She waited for him to speak his mind.

Shikaku brought out a small portable shogi board. "It's boring in the hospital. Let's play a game."

She watched him set up the small pieces and wondered if he would go easy on her. When she looked up, Shikaku's amused face also revealed a hard glint in his eye.

Hinata suddenly realized this was some combination of "a gesture to keep her company", "a test "and "mental training so she would not get in this situation again."

Warmth spread through Hinata as a sense of "belonging" grew.

* * *

"Happy to be home?"

Hinata sighed contentedly. She brought the tea cup to her lips and took a small sip. "Very happy." She smiled.

Shikamara chuckled. "Better bed, better food, and fewer visitors."

Hinata yawned like a kitten and put her head down in her arms on the kitchen table. "I didn't mind the bed or the food." She closed her eyes for a few moments. "I feel fortunate that so many friends care enough to visit me." She muttered.

Shikamaru coaxed his fiancee to stand up enough so that he could pick her up and carry her to their futon to sleep. Hinata was well on the road to recovery, but she still tired easily.

"Well there must be something about home to make you smile like you have been released from interrogation." He teased her gently as he helped tuck in her in.

Hinata put held out her arms, silently requesting a hug from Shikmaru before he stepped away. Shikamaru smirked at the child-like gesture. They were all spending a lot of time with a small toddler. At least the toddler command for "hug me now" or "pick me up now" was one of his more endearing non-verbal commands.

Shikamaru leaned back down to give her the requested hug. He blinked and a moment later, he found himself looking up at Hinata. She had pulled him down and rolled so he was in bed with her.

Clearly more energetic than he expected.

"The best part of being home, Shikmaru, is that it is _our_ home." She smiled at him and kissed his lips lightly. "And," one more kiss, "you" another kiss "are" and one more kiss. "here." She deepened that last kiss to emphasis the point.

Shikmaru lay in their futon with his fiancee, her hair flowed like silk through his fingers. And the smell of jasmine filled his senses. He followed her lead and returned all her kisses and affection.

* * *

Sometime later, he marveled at how lucky they were to have survived through the Atsukaki attacks and the 4th great ninja war. The promise of the future was never strong or bright for any shinobi. The possibility of a happy future always fragile. Here with Hinata, he felt even more driven to protect that possibility.

"I'm glad your home." He finally whispered to her. "I love you."

"I love you too." She snuggled more deeply into his side.

"Stop thinking so much." She gently scolded. "We'll be fine."

She paused. "And if not...than all the more reason to enjoy the moment."

He laughed a little. "We plan as much as we can. Then we live one day at a time. One moment at a time." Shikamaru quoted Asuma.

Hinata patted his chest gently. "He was smart man. Your sensei."

"And the coolest adult I have ever known."

* * *

Authors note: Finished. Please review!

Regarding the Naruto/Hinata scene: Hinata does admire and love Naruto. It was her respect for his determination and positive attitude that inspired her. That is canon. However, I believe her love for Naruto would not stop her from falling in love with Shikamaru and forming a deep and rich bond with Shikamaru over shared goals (in helping Kurenai) and in shared values (duty, loyalty, love etc.)

The scene included in this chapter is intended to show that her admiration for Naruto was part of what shaped who she became. But her present and future is with Shikamaru. It only takes her a moment to get over her embarrassment. It doesn't take even that long for her to turn Naruto down gracefully. Shikamaru is completely confident in his relationship with Hinata and is unconcerned by Naruto attempt to date Hinata. So it doesn't come up again. Except Ino is less forgiving.

Regarding the flow and style of the story: "To be a cool adult" is about the choices we make as individuals and the people we impact in our lives. The many short scenes show the importance of the couple in their group of friends and family. As teammate, friend, daughter/son, Aunt/Uncle, and finally partner/lover/spouse. Appreciating those relationships and respecting the responsibilities that come with them... hopefully you get the sense that Hinata and Shikamaru are well on their way to being "cool adults."

Thanks again for reading.


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